Charles Tucker was born in 1885 at Weare Giffard in Devonshire, the eldest of two known children to Philip Tucker, a wheelwright, and Annie Tucker (formerly Braund). He had one sister, Ellen (1888).

By 1891 the family was living at Kent Street in Canton, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, where his sister was born. The father died in Cardiff in 1893, following which the mother and her two children returned to Devonshire, where, in 1901, they were living in Upper Town, Petrockstowe, with the maternal grandmother. By then the 16-year-old Charles was employed as an apprentice wheelwright.

By 1911 Charles Tucker was a wheelwright living with the Gillard family at Chapel Court, in Sandford, near Crediton, Devonshire. He was unmarried.

Charles Tucker's service record has not survived, and what is known has been extrapolated from other sources.

He enlisted at Barnstaple, in Devonshire, joining the Royal Engineers as a sapper, no. 183052, no doubt due to his trade as a wheelwright.

However, before he proceeded overseas he transferred to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, as a private, no. 34638, and we was posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion.

The 9th Battalion had been formed at Preston in September, 1914, and became part of the 74th Brigade in the 25th Division. It had landed in France in September, 1915, and its first main action was in the attack at Vimy Ridge in May, 1916. The battalion then served on the Somme, at Thiepval, Bazentin, Pozieres and Ancre Heights.

By virtue of the fact that Charles Tucker did not qualify for the 1914-15 Star he did not proceed overseas until 1916 onwards, and would have joined the battalion in a draft of reinforcements.

By the beginning of May, 1917, the battalion was serving in Belgium, at Steenwerck, and from there moved to Neuve Eglise. Whilst there it spent six days in the trenches before withdrawing to Nordausques and entraining for La Creche.

On 1 June 39 other ranks joined from the Infantry Base Depot, and on the following two days provided working parties.

On 5 June the battalion moved to the concentration camp at Breemeerschen in readiness for the forthcoming attack and the next day moved into the assembly trenches in the Messines sector.

On 7 June, 1917, the battalion took part in the attack on the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge, between the Wulverghem-Messines and Wulverghem-Wytschaete Roads. Its objective was to take the enemies trench system east of the River Steenbeck, and then consolidate a series of trenches.

The operation was a success but in the process lost one officer killed and 12 wounded, together with 77 other ranks killed, 272 wounded and 6 missing.

At the end of the day it held the October and October Support trenches, which it continued to hold the next day until relieved on 9 June.

Charles Tucker was killed in action during the attack on the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge on 7 June, 1917. He was aged 32. He was initially buried at a battlefield site.

Charles Tucker's remains were subsequently exhumed and reburied at Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, in Belgium, where his grave is marked by a CWGC headstone.

He is also commemorated on the Petrockstowe war memorial, in Devonshire.

Charles Tucker's service earned him the British War Medal, 1914-20; and Victory Medal, 1914-19.